Founded 1961 | ||
New world winery of the year villa maria estates new zealand
Villa Maria Estate is a New Zealand wine company. It has vineyards across New Zealand, with its major production being from Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Marlborough and Auckland.
Contents
- New world winery of the year villa maria estates new zealand
- Villa maria estates wine and sir george nothing ordinary here
- Brands
- Wines
- Wineries
- Awards
- References
Sir George Fistonich founded the company in 1961, leasing a 5ha plot of land on Kirkbride Road in Mangere, Auckland from his parents. The company relocated to a larger site on Montgomerie Road in the same suburb, and has since vastly expanded, but remains to this day, a family-owned and operated business.
Villa maria estates wine and sir george nothing ordinary here
Brands
Villa Maria Estate has a portfolio of seven major brands: Villa Maria, Vidal, Esk Valley, Thornbury, Riverstone, Kidnapper Cliffs and Te Awa.
As well as the domestic market, Villa Maria Estate's wines are distributed across Europe, North America and the Caribbean, Asia, Australia, as well as to the Pacific Islands.
Wines
Villa Maria has four tiers of wine: Reserve, Single Vineyard, Cellar Selection and Private Bin. Vidal covers three tiers: Legacy, Reserve and Estate. Esk Valley also covers three tiers: The Terraces, Winemaker's Reserve and Esk Valley Range. The Terraces is usually sold en primeur and is only produced during selected vintages. Te Awa produces two tiers: Te Awa and Leftfield. Thornbury, Kidnapper Cliffs and Riverstone operate on a single-tier basis.
In terms of wine styles, like many New Zealand wineries, it produces Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, 'Bordeaux' varieties (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec), Pinot Noir and Riesling. Other less common varietals produced are Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Viognier, Verdelho, Syrah, Grenache, Chenin Blanc, Albarino and Arneis.
Wineries
Villa Maria Estate has wineries at its sites in Auckland, Blenheim (Marlborough) and Hawke's Bay, with bottling occurring at the Auckland site. The Auckland site was the first major New Zealand winery to achieve BioGro status in early 2009. There is also active involvement in CEMARS and compliance with ISO140001.
Sustainability plays a huge part in the ethos of Villa Maria Estate and the design of both the Auckland and Marlborough wineries encompasses the drive towards reducing carbon emissions.
Cellar doors are open to the public at their Esk Valley, Vidal, Te Awa, Marlborough and Auckland wineries. All these sites, except Marlborough, are home to on-site cafes or restaurants. Event facilities for corporate or private functions are also available at the Auckland site, as well as Vidal and Te Awa.
Awards
Villa Maria Estate was named the supreme winner at the New Zealand Sustainable Business Network awards in November 2012.
Villa Maria Estate has achieved consistently well in numerous wine award shows across its brand portfolio. It is regarded as being the most awarded New Zealand winery.